Page:2021 North Dakota Session Laws.pdf/993

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Judicial Branch of Government
Chapter 245

b. The mother and her spouse, or either of them, have agreed in writing in advance of the abortion, or within seventy-two hours thereafter, to accept the parental rights and responsibilities for the unborn child if it survives the abortion procedure.

SECTION 6. AMENDMENT. Subdivision c of subsection 2 of section 14-07.1-18 of the North Dakota Century Code is amended and reenacted as follows:

c. A court of competent jurisdiction orders the disclosure after an in camera review and a written finding by the court that the information directly and specifically relates to a determination of child abuse and neglect under chapter 50-25.1 or termination of parental rights under sections 14-15-19, 27-20-44, 27-20-45, 27-20-46, 27-20-4727-20.3-20, 27-20.3-21, 27-20.3-22, 27-20.3-23, and 27-20-4827-20.3-24; or

158 [1] SECTION 7. AMENDMENT. Section 14-15-11 of the North Dakota Century Code is amended and reenacted as follows:

14-15-11. Notice of petition - Investigation and hearing.

1. a. After the filing of a petition to adopt a minor, the court shall fix a time and place for hearing the petition. At least twenty days before the date of hearing, notice of the filing of the petition and of the time and place of hearing must be given by the petitioner to the department and human service zone; any agency or individual whose consent to the adoption is required by this chapter but who has not consented; an individual whose consent is dispensed with upon any ground mentioned in subdivisions a, b, f, h, i, and j of subsection 1 of section 14-15-06 but who has not consented; any appropriate Indian tribe; and any individual identified by the court as a biological parent or a possible biological parent of the minor, upon making inquiry to the extent necessary and appropriate, as in proceedings under section 27-20-4527-20.3-22, unless the individual has relinquished parental rights or the individual's parental rights have been previously terminated by a court. The notice to the department and human service zone must be accompanied by a copy of the petition.

b. Notice of the filing of a petition to adopt an adult must be given by the petitioner at least twenty days before the date of the hearing to each living parent of the adult to be adopted.

2. An investigation must be made by a licensed child-placing agency to inquire into the conditions and antecedents of a minor sought to be adopted and of the petitioner for the purpose of ascertaining whether the adoptive home is a suitable home for the minor and whether the proposed adoption is in the best interest of the minor.

3. A written report of the investigation must be filed with the court by the investigator before the petition is heard.

4. The report of the investigation must contain a review of the child's history; a preplacement adoption assessment of the petitioner, including a criminal history record investigation of the petitioner; and a postplacement evaluation of the placement with a recommendation as to the granting of the petition for

  1. 158 Section 14-15-11 was also amended by section 7 of Senate Bill No. 2086, chapter 353.